Motivational Speaker

Last weekend, real estate agents and brokers got introduced to yet another social and business network to participate in when online real estate news service, Broker Agent Professional, launched Broker Agent Social. Within the first 100 hours after launch they exploded to 2,000 members - adding a new member every few minutes.

Broker Agent Social enters an already crowded field dominated by ActiveRain of course as well as other large online communities such as RealTown, Zillow Community, Inman Community and RealSeekr.

It isn't that there's not room for one more as I actually suspect we will see another dozen or more develop over the next year as different online communities each strive to find their niche and target audience. According to Morgan Stanley, networking online has become the 2^nd largest activity online after email.

Not all online communities are of course the same as My Space, Facebook, LinkedIn, Buzznet and Hi5 have already proven. In their case differentiation, at least in the beginning, may have started as a group of school friends, an international social network with a local flavor or an online community featuring a specific interest such as pop, punk or rock bands.

It will not be any different for real estate online communities.  Each one is going to have to first its specific importance and usefulness to its members and secondly find a revenue model that they can sustain. Although initial indications were that marketers strongly supported online networks, most of the largest networks have yet to turn a profit and with a downturn in the economy advertising budgets are being reeled in.

That said I am still positive that online networks will play a significant role in shaping the future of the home buying transaction and I have dedicated a trend to them in my 2009 Swanepoel TRENDS Report that is due for release on 2/2/09.

Time will tell who will be able to build a loyal and meaningful following that will cherish their online relationship enough to stay active members. Having a lot of members is important but it is the focus and specialization that instills the desire to for members to return on a frequent basis and it is quality of the content that encourages participation and loyalty - both key factors in long term survival.

So, in your opinion, which are the three best online communities in real estate? Now be objective...

On November 7^th, while I was at the NAR convention in Orlando, Fidelity surprised us all by announcing that it would be acquiring LandAmerica in an all stock deal valued at $128 million. This merger would have great the largest title insurance group with about a 45% market share. In terms of the agreement Fidelity had time till today, November 21^st to back out of the deal based on their due diligence. Well, last night, Friday at 8:00PM Eastern time they did exactly that.

 The deals off!

Real estate professionals need to think differently about the future. They need to do more and they need to move faster.

It has now been more than 10 years since my first book on trends, Real Estate confronts Reality, and many of the changes that we have been writing and speaking about are now coming to fruition. Things are definitely changing, and on a large scale. Within the next five years the real estate brokerage industry will significantly have changed and brokers and agents that don't adapt now will not enjoy the benefits of the next economic upswing.

Many of the leading companies of the next few decades are already starting to emerge and the time to stake your claim is now. How do you do that? The answer, of course, is not a simple one, but one that I will nevertheless endeavor over the course of the next few months to shed some light on.

Let's start our journey by identifying five factors that will characterize the future:

1. Change

Change is real. It is neither bad nor necessarily good. However it is constant and ever present. It is the very essence of life. So change in our industry is not something new, nor should it be deemed unexpected. It will however alter they way you do business. The more change we experience in a condensed time frame, the larger the transformation will be.

2. Complexity

Most adjustments in life are usually hard and therefore we by nature resist them. We have to deal with many changes occurring at the same time that are integrated with activities, products and processes we do not always understand - all of which create a myriad of complexities. And as the future is uncertain and ever changing these complexities just cloud the issue, often hiding very change needed. 

3. Confusion

And so the change together with the complexity creates confusion for us. We become bewildered by the new and often fixated with the idea that we cannot do something. This uncertainty is unfounded and must be overcome. As certain as there are new things you do not know, so also is the fact that you can master any new product, service or skill and that the path going forward can be revealed.

4. Choice

Remember that every scenario provides options and alternatives. Failure is more often than not self imposed barriers. Each problem, obstacle and impediment has more than one solution and you have the capability of discovering it. It just requires commitment, focus, time and execution.

 5. Courage

Do not resist change. Embrace it. Make it work for you. Find the thread from the past that you can carry into the future - build on your existing knowledge by adding new knowledge, grow your skill set by expanding your horizons and remain competitive by embracing innovation. Rather than resisting or fearing the change help shape the future of the industry.

Every year the Swanepoel TRENDS Report identifies, analyzes and then details out the most important and imminent changes that are expected to impact the real estate industry over the coming 12 - 18 months. The 2009 edition is currently in the final 60 days of research and writing.  

If you have information that you would like to share with me feel free to email me and my research team at 2009@REtrends.com before Monday, November 17^th. 

Change seems to be the buzz word this year, with Barack Obama touting "Change We Need," John McCain promoting "Real Change" and even Hillary Clinton saying "Change you can count on." 

Every year the Swanepoel TRENDS Report identifies, analyzes and then details out the imminent changes that are expected to impact the real estate industry over the coming 12 - 18 months. The 2009 Report is currently in the final 60 days of research and writing and obviously with all the recent financial disasters, the energy crisis, the housing collapse and foreclosure catastrophe this has made 2008 the worst year in real estate and financial history.

So with 500 million cars clogging our roads, 7 billion tons of carbon dioxide produced per year and a government financial bail out package of $700 billion we have been bombarded with huge numbers. What do they mean and how big is 700,000,000,000 - really. Well, 700 billion M&M's would be enough to give every American 10 one-pound bags - or alternatively $700 billion could buy every person on the earth 87 McDonalds combo meals. 

So what does it all mean to the real estate industry? That remains the $64,000 question and this is where the annual Swanepoel TRENDS report tries to provide insights, information and interpretation. And although 2008 has had more than its fair share of adversity, misfortune always provides a new opportunity if one knows where to look. Knowledge of course provides that foresight.

Already thousands of hours of researching has been invested in drafting the 2009 Swanepoel TRENDS Report by not only the regular team of analysts but over 50 regular industry leaders and contributors.

While we believe that the Swanepoel TRENDS Report is the most thorough and complete report of its kind it is impossible for us to cover the industry from top to bottom and, as we have done in past years, we would like to invite your input before we finalize the report for 2009. 

During the month of November the Team at RealSure is opening the doors and inviting anyone involved the residential real estate brokerage industry to write to us and tell us if they feel they know of or are involved with any new, innovative product or service or a company that has set a course that is changing or could potentially change the industry.

If you believe that you have information that will help us provide a more accurate assessment of the industry and the trends and strategies shaping our future please email us. However, we cannot promise that everything we receive will make it into the 2009 Swanepoel TRENDS Report. We can however promise that no piece of information will go unread.

This year's special email address is 2009@REtrends.com and it will be open to receive input until Monday, November 17^th.  You may also send any personal quotes on the industry or the Trends Report should you wish to be cited. We do however ask that you do not send confidential information or product promotional material.

For more information on the 2009 Report visit www.REtrends.com